1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to a mold for casting a workpiece and, more particularly, to a mold that includes one or more casting pins.
2. Background Information
Various methods for investment casting (also referred to as “lost wax casting”) are known in the art for manufacturing a hollow workpiece. An example of a hollow workpiece is a component such as a hollow rotor blade for a gas turbine engine. In one such method, molten metal is poured into a mold cavity defined between an exterior core surface of a casting core and an interior shell surface of a casting shell. The casting core may be supported within the casting shell using a plurality of casting pins. Each casting pin typically extends from the exterior core surface through the mold cavity and into the casting shell. Therefore, while a casting pin may prevent the casting core from moving in a direction that extends therethrough, the casting pin typically does not prevent the casting core from moving in an opposite direction that extends away therefrom. Such casting pins therefore are typically used in pairs, where a first casting pin is arranged on one side of the casting core, and where a second casting pin is arranged on an opposite side of the casting core.